James s



J. S. RALSTON.

VISE.

'Pa'tentedJan. 22, 1867.

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IMPROVEMENT m VISBS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. RALSTON, of Indiana, in the county of Indiana, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement'in Vises; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referenee being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the vise of-my invention closed.

Figure 2 is the same view, the vise being open.

Figure 3 is a front view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to an improved plan of construction of a vise fonblacksmiths, carpenters, or other mechanics, and consists in an arrangement for opening and closing theju-ws of the vise by means of two eccem tries or cam disks placed outside of the jaws on a connecting and operating-rod. The cam disks lie with their facesflat against the sides of the jaws when theya're open, and diverge from the jaws on the lower side when they are closed, the jaws being held in any position moreor less open by means of a ratchet-wheel on the periphcry of one of the disks of a spring-dog on the corresponding jaw. This improved vise may be made much cheaper than the common screw vise; it has a very firm and powerful grip in the jaws, and works quick in closing and opening them. The vise may be adapted to any kind of work, as a bench or hand vise.

A is the fixed jaw, and A the movable jaw. pivoted at the lower end a, and moved outward by the spring b. B is a round coupling-rod passing through both jaws, on which rod outside of the jaws are fastened cam disks or cylindrical eccentrics C C,-the faces of which are planes cut at an angle diagonally to the axis on which I they turn with th'e'rod B, The diagonal or inclined faces of the cam disks 6C are made to correspond with and lie close against the outside of the jaws A and A when they are open, but on turning the ceupling-rod B by means of the ordinary vise handle d attached to the coupling-rod, the inside edges of theperiphery of both the cam disks G G are brought to bear against the sides of the jaws A A at one point on each, and the jawswill close rapidly as the cam disks turn while making half a revolution by reason of the bearing points of the eccentric or diagonal faces of the cam disks changing their relative position with lines at right angles to the .axis of the rodB, and the cam disks themselves upon it, as shown by figs. 1 and 2. On the periphery of one of the cam disks C ,G is placed a ratchet-wheel, c, connected with a spring dog, e, fastened to the side of the jaw for the purpose of helding the jaws A A" firmly at any point of extension, ,when the rod B is turned to secure any object between them. The vise may have the jaws extended by setting the cam disks on the coupling-rod further apart, and the foot of the movable j'aw may, beset out in the usual way..

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- In combination with the jaws A A of a visa, the cam disks G C, placed on a coupling-rod B,fo'r opening and closing the jaws to be held to their work by the ratchetswheel c, and spring-dog e, constructed and operating substantially as herein described. I

JAMES S. RALSTON.

Witnesses DAVID KEELEY, DAVID Pns'r'r. 

